Cap for collapsible tube dispensers



Decv 1950 M. BROUSSARD 2,534,498

CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE DISPENSERS Filed Oct. 17, 1949 MA YO BROUSSA RDIN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEK Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES t rhtEN'l OFFICE CAP FORCOLLAPSIBLE TUBE DISPENSERS Mayo Broussard, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 17, 1949, Serial No. 121,761

My invention relates to an improved closure for compressible tubes, andparticularly to an improved closure for use in dispensing semi-fluidmaterials, such as tooth-paste, cream, salve and other pastes or pastymaterials.

Self-sealing closures for use with compressible tubes for dispens ngpastes have been employed heretofore. In all of those known to me, aninternal valve has been provided for opening and closing a dischargeorifice that is always in contact with the atmosphere. Such arrangementsare unsanitary in that the discharge opening itself remains exposed tothe atmosphere even when the valve is in closing position. Furthermore,in some such prior closures, the discharge ports themselves retain asmall portion of the paste even when the valve is in closed position,thereby directly exposing a portion of the paste to the contaminatingeifects of the atmosphere.

It is therefore the main purpose of my invention to provide such aclosure with a discharge port which is exposed to the atmosphere onlywhen paste is being discharged therefrom,

The manner in which I accomplish the foregoing and other objects of myinvention will become apparent from a reading of the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing whereinone embodiment of my invention is illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a tooth-paste dispenser employing myimproved closure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged part fragmentary side elevational view showing theimproved closure in closed position with half the casing member removed;and

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of the improved closure shown ingopenposition;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of an alternative embodiment of myinvention.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated a compressible tube 8 having a. cosure 89connected to one end thereof. The closure H3 employs an elongated casingor body member i2 and a hollow discharge member l4 movable thereinbetween an innermost position illustrated in Fig. 2 and an outermostposition illustrated in Fig. 3. The discharge member I4 is provided witha lateral opening or port It which is covered by the casing member [2when the discharge member I4 is in its innermost position and which isaccessible, or exposed to 3 Claims. (01. 222-492) the atmosphere, whenthe discharge member [4 is in its outermost position. The casing member52 and the discharge member [4 are provided with fluid-passage definingmeans through which fluid flows to the discharge port It only when thedischarge member is in its outer position. The casing member [2 ispreferably formed of pastic material and the discharge member M ofmetal.

The casing member I2 is of circular construction and is provided with aninlet 28 at its inner end which inlet is threaded internally so that itmay be screwed firmly onto the externally threaded discharge nipple 22usually provided at the outlet of the compressible tube 8. An enlargedchamber 25 is formed within the casing member 52 commencing at aposition directly above the threaded inlet 2i] and continuing outwardlytherefrom. A reduced outlet passage 2% is formed in the casing member !2at the upper end of the cylindrical chamber 24. The outlet passage 26and the chamber 24 are both of cylindrical configuration and they arecoaxial with the threaded inlet 2!). In order to simplify theconstruction of my closure member the chamber 2A is made of circularcross-section and the outlet passage is of ircular cross-section exceptfor a flat surface 28 formed on one side thereof as indicated in Fig. 4.

The discharge member It comprises a hollow tubular stem portion 3i;which is slidably arranged within the outlet passage 24 and also apiston portion 32 which is slidably arranged within the chamber 26. Ithas the same cross-section as the outlet passage 39 as shown in Figs. 4and 5 in order to prevent the discharge member Hi from rotating withinthe casing l2. The discharge port it for dispensing paste from thecollapsible tube is in the form of a lateral opening arranged adjacentthe outer end of the stem portion. This port It is most easily formed inthe fiat portion of the side wall or the stem portion 30.

Lateral openings 3d provided in the side or cylindrical surface of thepiston portion 32 are provided in order to establish communication withthe interior of the stem portion 30. As will become clear hereinafterthese lateral openings 34 together with the piston portion 32 constitutevalving means for controlling the flow of fluid through the dischargemember 14.

A helical compression spring 35 is arranged concentrically with andoutside of the stem portion 32'] engaging the wall of the chamber 2% atits outermost end and the piston portion 32. The spring 35 is normallyopen and normally urges t d t firge member 3| 2 into its innermostposition where the piston 32 engages the inner wall of the chamber 24,thereby sealing off the threaded inlet 20. A tubular skirt 38 extendingoutwardly from the outer side of the piston 32, assists in guiding themovement of the pisto within the chamber 24. The skirt 38 also isolatesthe spring 36 from the space below the piston in order to prevent pastefrom seeping into the space in which the spring works. The skirt 38 alsoacts as a stop in order to limit the outward movement of the dischargemember M. In the outermost position, the outermost edge of the skirt 38seats in an annular groove 40 formed in the outermost wall of thechamber.

The passages for facilitating the flow of paste from the interior of thecollapsible tube into the interior of the stem portion and thence outthe discharge port, are completed by means of bypass or lateral passages32 formed in the side wall of the chamber. In the particular form of myinvention here illustrated these passages are in the form of holes 42formed within the casing member l2. The axes of the holes aresemi-circular but their cross-sections are circular. These semi-circularholes are formed most conveniently by manufacturing the casing member i2in two parts and securing these parts together to form a single memberas indicated in Fig. 5.

The inlets 44 to the passages 42 are covered by the piston 32 when thepiston is in its innermost position. When the stem portion 44 is in itsoutermost position the inlets 44 are exposed to the space in the chamber24 below the piston 32 and the outlets 46 register with the ports 34 inthe side of the piston. Thus, when the discharge member i4 is in theinnermost position the passages 42 are closed by the piston and aresealed off from the interior of the compressible tube 3 but when thedischarge member i4 is in the upper position the inlets 44 communicatewith the interior of the compressible tube through the space in thechamber 24 below the piston and the outlets 46 of these passagesregister with the openings 34 in the side of the pistons.

In order to facilitate complete cleaning of the discharge port it, it isso located on the stem portion that it stands beyond the upper end ofthe casing member at the time that the piston 32 just seals oil theinlets 44 of the lateral passages $2. In this way the fluid flowpassagesare sealed off or closed while the discharge orifice i6 stillremains in a position where it may be wiped clean prior to moving intoits closed position within the casing member l2.

In operation, the discharge member i4 is normally held by the spring 35in its innermost position in which the discharge port It lies within theoutlet passage 30 in the upper portion of the easing member i2, thusbeing protected from atmospheric contamination. Also in the innermostposition the piston 32 seals the inlet 2! and also the lateral passages42.

When paste is to be discharged the compressible tube 8 is compressed.This action forces paste under pressure through the nipple 22 againstthe piston 32, forcing it outwardly toward its outermost position,finally opening the inlets 44 of the lateral passages 62 and at the sametime exposing the discharge port it to the atmosphere. With theconstruction described the inlets 44 of the lateral passages 42 are sopositioned that the pressure of the paste in the chamber beneath thepiston is relieved only when the discharge port it is beyond the outerend of the casing member l2. As compression of the. be

continues, paste is forced through the lateral passages 42 into theports 34, thence through the space within the piston 32 into theinterior of the stem portion 35 and thence laterally through thedischarge port it, onto a tooth brush or other article to which thepaste is to be applied.

After the desired amount of paste has been discharged, the pressure onthe tube is relieved, permitting the spring 3%: to force the piston 32inwardly thereby covering the inlets M of the lateral passages 22. Atthis time, if desired, any residual paste that is projecting from thedischarge orifice l6 may be wiped off. As the pressure on thecompressible tube 8 is further relieved, the paste standing in thelowermost part of the chamber 24 beneath the piston 32 is forced toreturn into the collapsible tube and at this time the discharge port itmoves to its inner osition where it is covered by the side wall of theoutlet passage 38.

In the alternative embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 6, theclosure i0 is of similar construction to that previously describedexcept for the construction of the means for attaching it to a,compressible tube 8. In this embodiment of the invention the inner endof the closure is threaded externally so that it may be screwed into aninternally threaded nipple 22' connected to the tube 8. In thisconstruction, a flange til encircling the inlet 20 provides a shoulder62 upon which the piston 32 bears when in its innermost position. Asindicated, the piston 32 and the remaining parts of this closure are thesame as those in the closure Ill described above. The advantage of thisalternative type of construction lies in the fact that the casing memberl2 may be made somewhat shorter for a given size discharge member [4.

Although only two particular forms of my invention have beenspecifically d sclosed, it will be obvious that the invention is notlimited thereto but is capable of a variety of mechanical embodiments.Various changes, which will not suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art, may therefore be made in the material, form, details ofconstruction, and arrangement of the elements without departing from thespirit of the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a closure for a compressible tube, a casing member having an inletat the inner end thereof and having an o tlet pa sage at the outer endthereof and havin an enlarged cylindrical chamber interconn cting saidinlet and said outlet: a dischar e member comprising a piston m mberslidablyarranged within said chamber and a hollow stem member slidablyarran ed within said outlet passage, said piston member having a firstopening therein communic ting with the interior of said stem member,said stem member having a second, lateral openin adiacent the outer endthereof; resilient mean for urging said dischar e member inwardly intoan inner position wherein said second lateral opening is covered by theside wall of s id outlet passage, said stem member being movableoutwardly againstthe force of said resilient means b the pressure offluid forced into said casing inlet into an outer position in which saidsecond lateral opening is ex osed to the atmosphere; and valvin meansfor maintaining said first opening open to establish communicationbetween said first opening and said inlet only when said dischargemember is forced outwardl beyond a, predetermined point.

2. In a closure for a, compressible tube, a casing member having aninlet at the inner end thereof and having a cylindrical outlet passageat the outer end thereof and having an enlarged cylindrical chamberinterconnecting said inlet and said outlet passages, the axes of saidoutlet passage and said chamber being substantially parallel; a hollowdischarge member comprising a piston portion slidably arranged withinsaid chamber and a stem portion slidably arranged within said outletpassage, said piston portion having a first latera1 opening in the sidethereof, said stem portion having a second lateral opening adjacent theouter end thereof, passages within said piston portion and said stemportion establishing communication between said two openings; a helicalspring encircling said stem portion for urging said discharge memberinwardly into an innermost position wherein said second lateral openingis covered by the side wall of said outlet passage, said stem portionbeing movable outwardly by the pressure of fluid force into said casinginlet against the force of said spring into an outermost position inwhich said second lateral opening is exposed to the atmosphere; and acylindrical skirt extending outwardly from the periphery of said pistonportion and enclosing said spring; said casing member having a by-passpassage in the side wall of said chamber, said by-pass passage being sopositioned and arranged as toestablish communication between the portionof said chamber on the inlet side of said piston when said dischargemember is in its outermost position and as to be sealed oif by saidpiston from said cas ing inlet when said discharge member is in itsinnermost position.

3. In a closure for a compressible tube, 2. casing member having aninlet at the inner end thereof and having an outlet passage at the{outer end thereof and having an enlarged cham- ;;ber interconnectingsaid inlet and said outlet, said inlet being connectible to a dischargeopen- 1 1 comprising a piston portion slidably arranged ing in saidtube; a hollow discharge member within said chamber and a stem portionslidably arranged within said outlet passage, said piston portion havinga first lateral opening in the side thereof communicating with theinterior of said .stem portion, said stem portion having a secondlatera1 opening adjacent the outer end thereof;

and resilient means for urging said discharge member inwardly into aninnermost position wherein said second lateral opening is covered by theside wall of said outlet'pas'sage, said stem portion being movableoutwardly against the force of said resilient means by the pressure offluid forced into said casing inlet into an outermost position in whichsaid second lateral open ing is accessible; said casing member having a.by-pass passage in the side wall of said chamber,

.said by-pass passage being so positioned and arranged as to establishcommunication between the portion of said chamber on the inlet side ofsaid piston when said discharge member is in its outermost position andas to be sealed off by said piston from said casing inlet when saiddischarge member is in its innermost position.

MAYO BROUSSARD.

No references cited.

